Hello, Soldier
by TheKat6
Summary: She didn't know why she went there. What matters is that she was there.


At 3am I found myself on a Cliffside overlooking the city skyline and the river. Because this is the only place that one goes at this time of night. I could not recall why I came here, but I felt as though this is where I should be. I was unaware of the reason why. The urge to come here was so distracting that I could not focus on my work that needed to be done. All I knew was that I needed to see the water.

I lowered myself to the ground no longer caring about how my pants were going to get wet and dirty. I wanted to sit and feel the strange place I had come to. I never knew that there were places like this in New Jersey. I thought this was a place of fiction seen only in teen movies. It was the picture of someplace you would bring your date to "do it" and then let her wear your class ring. On this night, I was alone. No cars, not even a nocturnal creature hunting for something to eat. Just me and the sticks. I was never one for the outdoors, but I knew I had to be here.

I pulled my knees into my chest and waited. I didn't know who or what I was waiting for but I had that funny feeling when you know something is about to happen. I stared at the water below me and began to think about all of the things I needed to get done for the coming week until my thoughts were interrupted by bright spotlights and a loud, rumbling engine. I did not turn around to see what was there. I heard a door open and then close. The sound of crunching leaves became louder and closer.

"Hello" said a deep and gravelly voice. I did not respond or turn around to the foreign voice behind me. It did not startle me either, strangely enough. A calm rushed over me as the stranger hovered above me. I was very pleased that this person had decided to also come here in the middle of the night.

This stranger sat himself next to me without making a sound. The atmosphere of the place I had come to this night shifted. It did not faze me at all. I do not know why. The smell of the water and the forest around me had changed to gunpowder and cigarettes when the stranger sat down. I refused to look at his face, but he was very close to me.

"Look at me." He said.

"No."

"Why."

"I can't."

"Why?" He persisted. I did not know why I refused to look at him. I felt as though if I had looked at him, it would cause me immense pain.

"It hurts." I whispered.

"Why?"

"I don't know!" I yelled. There were a lot of things I did not know the answer to on this night. I did not know why I had to come to these cliffs. I did not know how I even got here. I had never been here before, but I knew exactly where to go. There was a complete stranger sitting next to me and I could care less.

"Please look at me." He begged. Everything had become silent once he finished speaking. I slowly turned my head to look at this stranger next to me.

"Please don't cry" he said as a callused hand wiped away a tear streaming down my face. I don't know why I was crying. The blue eyes of this stranger burned through me, but I knew that this look was not intended for me. It was fixed 100 yards away from where we were sitting.

I had not known I was crying. It was another detail to add to the list of things I did not know the answer to.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"You know who I am."

"No I don't. If I knew I wouldn't be asking."

"That's a shame. I know you. I know you were going to be here tonight. You promised you wouldn't forget me." He turned his head away from me and looked down to the water below. He stretched out his legs making the soles of his boots scrape the gravel. I stared at his boots searching my memories for where I've seen those boots before.

"Problem?" He asked, breaking my concentration. For some reason I laughed at his statement. Again, I don't know why. I saw his mouth twitch when I laughed as though he was trying to conceal a smile.

"No. Well, I've seen those boots before. I know those boots." I said, still trying to figure out where they belong.

"Good! What else? Keep going!" the stranger encouraged. What was he trying to get at? Inside of the boots were the hems of fatigue pants expertly tucked into the boots. I shifted my gaze higher to see the jacket with the identical pattern to the pants. On the sleeve was a patch that showed this stranger's rank was Private, First Class. There was another patch with his name. M. Klein.

"Hello, soldier." I said. A smile started to creep across my face as I spoke. A warm and giddy feeling began to rise in me.

"I missed you." He said. His admission surprised me. I still had no idea who this handsome stranger sitting next to me was. But I liked the way he made me feel. Bliss. Pure, organic, genuine bliss. The stranger placed his hand on my leg and moved his thumb back and forth. It felt as though a current of electric shocks went through me at his touch.

"Why did you go away?" I asked. I was overcome with loneliness after finishing my statement. Tears rushed from my eyes and the grip on my leg became tighter. I waited for my stranger to put his arms around me but nothing came. I looked to my stranger to find an empty space next to me. There was nothing around me except the city lights and a faint smell of cigarettes.

Please be kind. This was written from experience and I need someone, anyone to read this. Thank you.

Love, Caitlin


End file.
